The King's Bane
by tolkien107
Summary: Inspired by Reversed Life by Rainxoxo AU Eragon grew up in the Empire, serving as Galbatorix's right hand. As the King withdrew, he shouldered a large part of the administration of the Empire. He keeps the peace and administers justice. This story begins when Arya is captured by Durza. Eragon X Arya and maybe other couples as well.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: The Inheritance Cycle and everything in it belong to Christopher Paolini.**

 **Chapter One**

The elf was beautiful. That was Eragon's first thought as he swept into the cell.

The man was a shadow come to life, wearing a black cloak over black armour, the cowl of his cloak up obscuring his eyes. The lower half of his face was hidden by a cloth mask that extended from the top of nose diagonally down across his cheekbones allowing only a thin slice of his face to be seen.

If he wasn't so intimidating it would be comical how much black he wore.

His bearing spoke of command. His every movement carried an authority that told the world to bend around him so he may remain still.

At a second look, he mentally recoiled. Upon entry he had seen only her face. But she had been mutilated. Lying naked strapped to a cross shaped bench her injuries were stark. In places her skin had been flayed, she had been burnt with acid. It was clear that she had many broken bones; they broke her skin in places. The worst however, were her hands they had been beaten so badly they resembled stumps, the fine bones broken and mashed together.

What had been done to her went long beyond horrific.

Internally he shuddered; feeling a well of rage forming in his stomach. Quickly he suppressed the emotion. It would not do to show this cursed shade emotion.

Turning to the other occupant of the room, the tall, thin, pallid shade smirked at him.

"How do you find my handiwork Master Eragon?" He said mockingly.

"Durza, I can hardly fault an animal for behaving as an animal can I?"

The timbre of his voice was deep and calm, a match to his bearing.

"No, perhaps that is too insulting to animals. You are not simply stupid but deranged as well. "

Though his face was hidden, the goading smile could be heard in his speech.

The shade snarled at him, immediately enraged taking a half step forward he reached for the knife beside him. Then stopped eyes wide, the tip of a drawn sword was resting over his heart.

"Durza, the king finds you useful, so he permits you to live. I have no such attachment to you. Do not forget who rules these lands in the Kings absence. If you think to cross me, I will cut you down as the rabid monster you are." He spoke with such a level voice he could have been discussing the afternoon's weather.

"Leave! The egg has hatched, you have failed! You are to return to Uru'baen. I will deal with the elf."

He allowed his voice to rise as he chastised the shade. The command in his voice was clear.

Durza looked at the bright blade still levelled at his heart; it had been drawn too quickly for him to react. He had actually felt a thrill of fear when he had seen it over his heart. He snarled once more before lowering his head in deference. Storming out of the cell, the shade's face was as thunder as he left.

"I never though a schoolgirl and a shade would have similarities"

Eragon muttered to himself, shaking his head.

Turning to the elf, he shuddered internally again when faced with the extent of her injuries. Unstrapping her with a gentleness that seemed at odds with his appearance he quietly spoke a word of command causing her body to rise off the bench slowly, as he exited the cell and moved down the hall, the floating elf followed him

It was a haunting sight, this broken elf floating silently after a shadow. Neither of them made a sound.

Returning to his chambers, he caused the elf to be set down on his bed, the blood and puss leaking from her body immediately staining the sheets.

" _Saphira",_ he called to his dragonmentally.

" _Yes little one, what is it?"_

Her voice was sleepy. He knew she'd not expected much of the day. She often occupied herself on days where he had to inspect things within the Empire; his visiting a prison was of little interest to her.

Opening his mind to her he showed the memories of what had just occurred.

Immediately he felt her strength coursing through their bond as she prepared him for the healing that she knew he was about to undertake.

Kneeling beside the elf he began to heal her, prioritizing the most life threatening wounds. He first tended to the broken bones, mending them and repairing the skin where it had been punctured. Then tending to her organs, mending them where they had been punctured by her broken bones, or damaged in the beatings she had endured.

" _She is even worse than I had believed Saphira_ "

" _That shade should be killed, he is an unnatural blight on the world"_ she said by way of reply the anger in her mental voice palpable.

" _You of all people know how I would love to do that, but I cannot anger the King Saphira, you know that"_

Her only response was to growl, deep in her throat.

Satisfied that the bones of the elf were once again whole, he stood rang the bell on the table in the study that was attached to his sleeping chambers. A servant immediately appeared at the door to his chambers upon the bell being rung, despite its muted tones. It was enchanted to alert the servant that was assigned to him upon being rung.

Moving to the man, who was obviously uncomfortable being around him.

"I'd like food please, vegetarian dishes only as I'm sure you've been informed."

The man nodded vigorously.

"Also bring me some cordial, that will be all."

As the man scurried off, Eragon sighed as he turned back to the elf. This would be exhausting.

Walking back to the elf he found himself once again admiring her beauty.

" _Heal her first! Then dream about mating with her._ "

Saphiras voice broke his reverie as she mentally scolded him.

Smiling ruefully beneath his mask he didn't reply, but he once again knelt beside the elf and began to heal her.

He extended his senses towards her. Now that her life was in no more danger he turned his attention to the injuries that would cause her the most pain. Her flayed leg, and her destroyed hands. The hands would require a huge amount of energy to mend and likely several rounds of healing he thought. The leg would require a large amount of energy to regenerate the skin but it was relatively straightforward to heal.

Her hands however, were so badly destroyed that it would not only take a tremendous amount of energy, but mending them would be a very technically rigorous job. But Eragon was a master of his craft. To say his training in magic was comprehensive would be a gross understatement, his tutors ancient, powerful and wise. They had not been kind or light when training him, but the results spoke for themselves. Aside from the black king and the elves in their secret forest he was likely the only healer on Alagaesia capable of restoring her hands to their former shape, such was the extent of the damage.

Deciding to do the needful before there was any chance she may awake. He begun to work on her hands.

"Jierda" he whispered. The bones of her hands had begun to set in their new places, before he could begin to heal them it was necessary for him to re-break the bones. Even in her unconscious state, her body tensed and a pained expression flickered across her face as the bones in her hands cracked apart again.

Settling into the job, he grew dull to outside influences as he immersed himself in his magic. He realigned the bones, forcing the hands back into a natural shape, as he did so he was forced to tear skin and flesh as the bones reset into their proper places. Much of the difficulty in the healing was that her hands had begun to heal into their deformed shapes. Once the bones were set as they should have been, he coaxed the muscles and tendons of the hand back into their original shape. Where the sheaths of muscles that controlled the fingers and become deformed and twisted, he straightened and relaxed them. Her tendons, torn and stretched through the hand were restored and reattached. The broken twisted knuckles were reshaped and softened so her fingers would again be flexible.

After all this was done, Eragon returned to himself, exhausted. The elf's hands looked like hands once again, still far from perfect, they would require several more rounds of healing before they were as they had been prior to they're maiming. There was still broken skin and twisted flesh which he had not had the energy to fix, and there was major work yet to be done on the nerves of her hand. However, the underlying architecture of her hand was once again sound.

Stiffly climbing to his feet from where he'd been kneeling, Eragon looked around and saw the food and cordial he'd requested sitting on his dining table. Ravenous he tore into the meal, which was now very cold.

" _Saphira, what is the time"_ He asked curious

His windows showed that it was now very dark, he had started healing the elf just before midday. He felt the sleepy touch of Saphira's mind.

" _It's nearly dawn, little one"_

His eye's widened in surprise, that meant he had been working on the elf's hands for a good 16 hours.

" _Well that is by far the longest healing I've ever attempted, the Masters would be proud"_

" _I'm sure they will be little one. Now let me sleep"_

Eragon chuckled, "lazy dragon" he muttered, as Saphira returned to sleep.

But he too shared her exhaustion; he knew she had provided him with a huge amount of energy for the healing.

Turning from the elf, he knew she would not wake, and even should she; she was far too injured to do much. However he would take no chances, casting a spell on her to immobilise her he left his chambers. Exiting the prison he walked around to the rear side of the complex where he knew she was. The partner of his heart.

Even asleep in the moonlight she was glorious.

Her scales, were a deep royal blue, sparkling and bright. They glittered in the light of the full moon, her spines rose and curved in graceful lines, her body was lithe and powerful. The very image of a perfectly formed dragon.

Moving towards her, Eragon found her wing where it lay on the ground, she lifted in for him and he climbed beneath. As he settled himself to sleep he could hear her humming quietly.

* * *

This is my first fic guys so please be nice and review. Open to ideas and constructive criticism.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: The Inheritance Cycle and everything in it belong to Christopher Paolini.**

 **Thank you to everyone who favorited and reviewed, I appreciate you making the effort.**

 **I hope you enjoy the chapter. I will try to update faster, but work gets in the way.**

 **Chapter Two**

Saphira nudged Eragon awake just after dawn.

"Go see to your elf." she said gently, "she is likely still in much pain."  
Grumbling he rose, he usually had no problems with mornings, but he'd been exhausted the previous night. Straightening his clothes, he collected himself.

His body was fatigued from the healing he'd performed the night before however, his magical reserves were greatly restored; he could feel the power bubbling beneath his skin.

"Acknowledging Saphira's words with a mental touch, he turned from to stride back into the prison.

Returning to his chambers, he found the elf largely as he'd left her the night before. It was apparent that she'd not woken since he'd left her. Being healed was greatly taxing on the body, even though external energy was provided, there was still a lot of work for one's body to do. A major healing such as last nights had been could leave a human unconscious for a week or more. An elf, even given their greater physical strength would take a couple of days at least.

Turning to her leg, Eragon could see the shade had burned her where he'd stripped the skin; her suffering must have been immense. He was somewhat in awe of the amount of she'd endured. He knew from the reports that he'd received that Durza had been unable to glean much from her. That she'd taken so much and not broken was truly a testament to her character.

Settling himself once again Eragon began the work of regenerating the skin and tissue of her leg; it was a long slow process. The elf's body had borne so much abuse, that even with his assistance it struggled to heal.

It took him till the early afternoon, to heal her leg. Then fortified with energy from Saphira, he tended to the more superficial injuries she had sustained. By late afternoon, he felt comfortable that barring the incomplete work on her hands, there was little more he could do for her.

Returning to himself, he felt his belly cramp with hunger.

As he rose he once again immobilized the elf, if she woke now, she would pose a serious security risk. She was more than recovered enough to pose a considerable risk to anyone in the prison.

Before he left the room, he directed a maid to bath and dress her, while he'd been healing her he'd covered her with a blanket, but he'd needed access to her body to heal her.

Trying to disguise his urgency he hurried to the kitchens of the prison, he was far too hungry to wait for servants. Also, he was honest enough to admit to himself that he wasn't sure he could sit through the elf being bathed without embarrassing himself, in some way. While he'd been healing her he'd been too focused to think about much else, but as he'd covered her again. He'd once again been struck by how beautiful she was.

"Why are you so embarrassed, little one?" a very amused Saphira asked him. "You've known women before, why are you behaving like a hatchling now?"

Eragon just grunted, there wasn't really much more he could say without embarrassing himself further. In truth he had no idea why he was behaving as he was.

As he reached the kitchens, Eragon just focused on his food, trying desperately to avoid thoughts about the elf. Needless to say, he was unsuccessful.

He spent the rest of the day attending to affairs of state; over the last two days he'd been occupied with the elf, letters that required his attention had reached the prison. With the retreat of the Black King into seclusion, much of the administration of the Empire had fallen to Eragon. He had, of course seneschals and regional governors to whom he was able to delegate much authority, but occasionally they wrote to him requesting advice or for clarification on certain matters.

"The Varden is moving again" he thought to Saphira. "They've been quiet for so long, it could be they know about the egg hatching."

"Good, you should join them!"

"Do you wish to die?" Eragon asked her simply. "Saphira, for us to leave the Empire would mean death, now that I rule I can do so much good for the people."

"I am a dragon Eragon! To be in this position is an insult and injury to my very nature."

"Master would tell you to bite your pride." Eragon told her primly, "Stop moaning, we must survive, only then can we take advantage of opportunities. Did you notice the tattoo elf's tattoo, when I was healing her?"

"Eragon, I share your mind, you noticed so much of her it was a trial for me to silence my laughter so you could heal her."

Trying and failing to hide his embarrassment from her, "that tattoo is for one who has given themselves to the elvish race", he told her "she is not ordinary. It will be interesting to speak with her once she awakens."

Ending the conversation, Eragon left the study he was borrowing from one of the prison administrators, he'd still been avoiding his own chambers.

As he returned to his own chambers, he could feel a strange amusement and anticipation emanating from Saphira's mind. Opening the door to his chambers, he was forming a thought to ask her about it; as he has hit in the head, hard. Leaping back, he collided with the door that had closed behind him. Eyes widening, he took stock of the situation.

He was faced with a very beautiful, very very angry elf. She had armed herself with a chair, which she had tried to brain him with. Fortunately for Eragon she was now dresses, judging by the rough brown shift she now wore, she must have woken only after the maid had attended her.

"This is not how I thought the day was going to go", Eragon thought to himself wryly.

* * *

 **Well she's up and she's not happy. I'm might have them stay in Gil'ead for a while, but who knows.**


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